Food and beverage manufacturing is the leading industry in this year’s Australia's Top 100 Manufacturers, with 35 companies making the list. Fonterra Co-op Group made the top 10, ranked #2, JBS Australia was next at #13.
Advanced Manufacturing Expo's Top 100 Manufacturers in Australia is released every year with research compiled by research company IBISWorld, which works with stablemate publication Food & Drink Business for its annual Australia's Top 100 Food and Drink Companies report.
Coca-Cola Amatil was the highest ranked beverage manufacturer at #16.
IBISWorld enterprise researcher Aaron Vaserman said: “Australia’s reputation for pristine environments and high-quality production in food and beverage products is expected to boost revenue for manufacturers within this industry segment.”
Saputo Dairy Australia appeared on the list for the first time, ranked #29. Lion fell by rank and revenue from #15 to #19. Carlton & United Breweries also dropped, from #23 to #28. A full list of the food and beverage manufacturers in the Top 100, see the table below.
The Top 100 manufacturer’s combined revenue was $319 billion. The list includes 29 ASX-listed companies and 37 locally owned companies. Victoria confirmed its status as a manufacturing hub with seven of the top 10 based in the state.
This year’s Top 100 had strong revenue growth in comparison to previous years. Vaserman said the restructuring of business processes to include automation, an increased focus on boosting productivity and the 2017 federal government’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund were contributing factors.
“The fund provided grants to small manufacturers to invest in automation and the benefits were starting to be realised,” Vaserman added.
“At a macroeconomic level, the depreciation of the Australia dollar over the last year has increased demand in Australian exports, supporting revenue growth for manufacturers and increasing global competitiveness.”
Advanced manufacturing adoption is giving Australian manufacturers a competitive advantage over international competitors.
“Previously, Australian manufacturers have had difficulty competing with their Asian counterparts, predominantly due to their much lower cost of labour. Now, our manufacturers are adapting or have adapted by focusing on highly specialised areas.
“In short, Australian manufacturers are taking advantage of opportunities for growth by focusing on the premium areas of the market.” Vaserman said.
The continued investment in automation, high tech and productivity enhancing technology will continue to pay dividends for manufacturers as an important differentiator with competitors in the Asia-Pacific.
Food and beverage companies that made the Australia's Top 100 Manufacturers list:
| Ranking | Company |
| 2 | Fonterra Co-op Group |
| 13 | JBS Australia |
| 16 | Coca-Cola Amatil |
| 19 | Lion |
| 23 | Treasury Wine Estates |
| 25 | Teys Australia - A Cargill Joint Venture |
| 27 | Ingham's |
| 28 | Carlton & United Breweries |
| 29 | Saputo Dairy Australia |
| 31 | George Weston Foods |
| 32 | Nestle |
| 33 | Goodman Fielder |
| 38 | Lactalis Australia |
| 40 | Asahi Holdings |
| 43 | Mars Wrigley |
| 44 | Baiada Poultry |
| 45 | Wilmar Sugar |
| 46 | Unilever Australia |
| 48 | Manildra Group |
| 49 | PepsiCo Australia & New Zealand |
| 50 | Mondelez Australia |
| 52 | Simplot Australia |
| 54 | Bega Cheese |
| 58 | The a2 Milk Company |
| 59 | SunRice |
| 63 | Arnott's |
| 69 | Kilcoy Pastoral Company |
| 71 | NH Foods Australia (NHA) |
| 81 | McCain Foods |
| 84 | Allied Pinnacle |
| 87 | Heinz |
| 95 | Pernod Ricard Australia |
| 96 | Bindaree Beef Group |
| 97 | Norco Co-op |
| 99 | Fletcher International Exports |
Source: IBISWorld
